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W…W…W…Wednesday: Books read, reading and to read

Hooray, it’s Wednesday — one of my favorite blogging days of the week as I get to share what everyone’s reading. I’m pretty pleased with my list this week.

Thanks to Miz B at Should Be Reading for inspiring so many of us to get involved in WWW Wednesdays. It’s always a great way to connect.

I’d love to know what everyone is reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…(or post a link to your blog.)

• What are you currently reading? • What did you recently finish reading? • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading? I’m almost finished with my book club title, Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. This is an incredibly disturbing and captivating read. I haven’t wanted to set the book down for the past couple days, even though I’m alternatingly fascinated and terrified by this young woman’s true story. Highly recommend. On audio, I’m starting The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman. I was a big fan of The Imperfectionists and I’m already finding some of that same dark humor in disk 1; however, I’m not a huge fan of the narrator’s voice and I’m wondering if I need to switch to the print edition.

What did you recently finish reading? I am very sad to have completed the audio version of The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, as it is the last in Bradley’s 6-book Flavia de Luce series. Rumor (aka the internet) has it that he’s writing a new Flavia series, but it won’t necessarily contain all the places and characters I’ve come to love from Buckshaw and Bishop’s Lacey. I have adored each installment in the series. This is the only one, however, that I don’t think would stand alone without reading the preceeding novels. This finale ties together many outstanding questions left from the 5 murders Flavia has “solved” in her 11th year. Also finished Shotgun Lovesongs (reviewed here) and We Were Liars, which definitely deserves a review that I have not yet written.

What do you think you’ll read next? I was surprised and thrilled to find a copy of Fourth of July Creek on the New Release shelf at the library. I’ve heard such great things about it. Even though it’s almost 500 pages, I’m going to sneak it in before my next non-fiction, A Curious Man, and my classic, 1984 (which my 13 year-old is HATING by the way). No shortage of books to read this month.

Happy reading everyone!

*All book covers are images saved from Goodreads

How about you?

What are your W…W…W… titles? Please feel free to share a link to your own W…W…W…Wednesday posts or share your reading plans in the comments.

I hope you end up liking The Rise & Fall of Great Powers. I thought it was a lot of fun. But, I hadn’t read his first book, so couldn’t compare the two. A lot of people seem to like his first book better.
I have heard so many people say they love the Flavia books, but I haven’t read any of them. I think I’m partly worried that I will like them and have to read them all. Big reading commitment! I really should try them, though.

I’m sad for you that you’re done with Flavia! I guess that’s the silver lining with waiting for the paperback – I have that much more time to spend with her. I’ve been wanting to read Brain on Fire as well so I’m glad to hear that it’s really excellent.
I just finished The White Princess by Philippa Gregory which…meh. Now I’m slogging through Sarah Bradford’s Lucrezia Borgia but I’m thisclose to marking it DNF. Next…the new Haruki Murakami?

Too much slogging… you need something that gets your heart pumping and mind reeling. I’ve never read Murakami but it sounds like that might be the ticket for you. (Or Brain on Fire — which I finished late last night. Still feeling shaken)

I don’t know about worthwhile, just what I’m into right at this moment. My son tells me it’s boring, “I don’t get why this is a big deal.” I’ve never read it and I’m not into dystopian fiction (nor is he) so I’m not even sure how to encourage him. It’s hard to encourage summer reading when it’s a begrudged school assignment. Wish the 8th grade teacher would have chosen something a little shorter and more accessible to 13 year-olds.
Thanks for coming by.

1984 is great! I remember loving it in school, but I can’t remember how old I was. I do think nowadays it may be beneficial to know some historical context before reading 1984. Did your son’s school provide any or just assign the book? It was published in 1949 and I’ve always understood it as a response to the fascist states seen during WWII.

It is odd to read about “big brother” and such when 1) there’s been a reality TV show of that name and 2) there’s a general knowledge that things get monitored.

I think the context is what’s really missing for him. They haven’t covered WWII or fascism at all yet and it’s hard for him to relate to the ground-breaking nature of the work. I’m hoping it gets better for him.

I have not heard of Brain on Fire before. Your comments intrigued me, as well as everyone else’s. I am definitely going to have to go check it out. And isn’t it amazing how a narrator can either make or break a book for you? I have heard some great ones, and then ones I just couldn’t finish. Sad for the listener and the author of the book. Happy reading!

Thanks for the comment Susan and welcome. I posted my full review of Brain on Fire today and I HIGHLY recommend. It’s a very interesting story that’s also well-written.
I’m on the 3rd disk of The Rise and Fall of Great Powers and really like the book, but I’m not liking the narration at all. Maybe I should give up and hold out for the print version? Still not sure.

I read The Rise and Fall of Great Powers and have to admit that got a little bit lost in the middle. I don’t know if I could’ve handled all the going back and forth in an audio. Can’t wait to read your views on the audio.